Dallas answered its opening loss to the Giants with a 37–20 victory over Washington on September 20. The Week 2 result replaced the pregame question of whether the Cowboys could respond, though it did not resolve every concern about their defense.
Prescott supplied the response
Dak Prescott completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb finished with 153 receiving yards and two scores, while Jake Ferguson caught the other two touchdown passes.
The offense’s efficiency helped Dallas recover from its opener. It should not be confused with proof that the defensive problems were solved.
Why the defensive result needs context
Washington rushed for 182 yards. Jayden Daniels accounted for 69 rushing yards before leaving with an elbow injury at the end of the first half, after which Marcus Mariota took over.
Dallas also produced a pivotal third-quarter takeaway: Jaishawn Barham forced a fumble that Dee Winters recovered, giving the offense the ball at Washington’s 13-yard line. Prescott found Ferguson for a touchdown two plays later.
That sequence helped separate the teams on the scoreboard, but the rushing total and Washington’s quarterback change matter when judging the Cowboys’ defense.
Where the personnel story moved next
For the later Week 4 changes, see Joey Porter Jr.’s arrival in Dallas and the injured-reserve moves involving Jalen Thompson and Jonathan Bullard.
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